News

Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory using EMSL capabilities develop a new zinc-polyiodide flow battery with a high energy density, which reduces its size and cost and makes it well suited to store energy in densely populated cities.

A recent proteomics study sheds light on metal reduction pathways in key microbial species, paving the way for future widespread use for bioremediation efforts.
A recent proteomics study sheds light on metal reduction pathways in key microbial species, paving the way for future widespread use for bioremediation efforts.

Scientists are studying ways to transform the carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plant emissions into carbonate for long-term underground storage. To better understand the transformation process, researchers using EMSL resources developed a computational model that determines if and when minerals form and impact of the environment and time.

In this issue, a feature about research on the catalytic properties of zeolites being done at EMSL, the call for fiscal year 2016 proposals, 12 tips for a successful user proposal, EMSL named an Intel® Parallel Computing Center and science highlights. Read these stories and more in the latest issue of The Molecular Bond.

New high resolution mass accuracy MS capability closer to first output

Released: February 17, 2015

EMSL’s new 21 Tesla mass spectrometer is at its full magnetic field strength. When fully operational the system will allow new discoveries in advanced biofuels, microbial community dynamics, environmental organic matter analysis and aerosol characterization.

Zeolites have been used for decades as catalysts and in other industrial applications, but the molecular transformations occurring within the porous material is not well understood. Scientists are using EMSL’s staff expertise and advanced instrumentation to gain an atomic-level understanding of these materials to improve energy production and...

Researchers identified a novel cyanobacterial strain that grows rapidly and is amenable to genetic manipulation—qualities that make this organism suitable for a wide range of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering applications.

A team of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory working at EMSL received a 2015 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for SALVI, short for System for Analysis at the Liquid Vacuum Interface. The device allows solid-liquid interface observation while imaging with mass spectrometers or scanning electron microscopes.

Scientists working at EMSL study the interaction between molecules and trapped light waves on a metal surface. The findings could lead to breakthroughs in characterizing new materials for catalysis and energy conversion.

Intel recently named EMSL an Intel® Parallel Computing Center. As an Intel® PCC, EMSL’s scientific computing team will work with Intel to modernize the codes of NWChem to take advantage of technological advancements in computers.

The American Physical Society Council has elected EMSL’s Don Baer a 2015 Division of Chemical Physics Fellow for his exceptional contributions to physics. He will be honored at the division meeting in March.

A team of scientists used EMSL capabilities and expertise to study the physiological basis for the interspecies interactions of two bacteria. The results have implications for bioenergy, carbon sequestration and bioremediation.

John Cliff has joined EMSL as a lead scientist and steward of the NanoSIMS. His duties include development and implementation of techniques for chemical imaging and isotopic characterizations of environmental samples using secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Lithium (Li) metal has long been considered one of the most attractive anode materials, but large-scale application of high-energy rechargeable Li metal batteries is limited by the growth of harmful deposits called Li dendrites. A recent study evaluated the effect of an electrolyte additive that suppresses Li dendrite formation on Li metal...

Marine particles alter their structure and possibly change the atmosphere

Released: January 12, 2015

A team of scientists using EMSL and other capabilities found marine particles coated with organic chemicals and exposed to environmental changes create glass-like organic salts. The findings will help improve computational models.

In this issue, a feature on research being done in EMSL’s Radiochemistry Annex; articles on Don Baer being named AVS trustee, Galya Orr joining an editorial advisory board and arrival of the 21-T mass spec magnet; and science highlights. Read these stories and more in the latest issue of The Molecular Bond.

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, Washington State University and Savannah River National Laboratory are among the principal investigators seeking innovative solutions to environmental and energy production challenges in subsurface science. They are also among the scientists who submitted applications to the Special Science...

Scientists are studying strontium titanate to turn sunlight into fuel through solar hydrolysis, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules with visible light. Using EMSL resources, researchers have been able to reduce the optical band gap to show strontium titanate holds potential for solar hydrolysis and possibly oxide-based solar cells...

PNNL and EMSL scientists working at EMSL determined that negatively charged ions, or anions, do not lose their charge when softly landed, in contrast to the behavior of positive ions. This research has implications for next generation electrochemical energy storage and flash memory devices.

By providing critical guidance on coating designs for improving the performance of silicon anodes, these findings could enable the development of silicon-based anode materials that enhance capacity, power and cycle life, paving the way for widespread adoption of lithium ion batteries for applications such as powering electric vehicles and storing...

EMSL is accepting applications for the 2015 Terrestrial and Subsurface Ecosystems Postdoctoral Appointment through Dec. 28. The fellowship is open to high-performing newly graduated, junior Ph.D. scientists interested in improving the representation of terrestrial ecosystem processes in Earth system models.

By providing a more complete understanding of the chemical nature of soot particles, this research could ultimately lead to improved climate model representations of anthropogenic soot’s chemical and physical properties, greater insight into the role of soot in cloud formation, and cleaner aviation engines through more accurate soot models.

Researchers will soon be able to have the highest clarity molecular characterization of complex systems with the arrival of the magnet for EMSL’s new 21 Tesla mass spectrometer. The magnet weighs 22 tons.

A team of scientists using experimental and computational capabilities at EMSL obtained an atomically resolved view of delta alumina. Their findings could help improve the speed and efficiency of industrial processes using alumina as a catalyst and a catalytic support.

EMSL Senior Research Scientist and Capability Lead Galya Orr has been selected to be on the editorial advisory board of Chemical Research in Toxicology, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research on the chemical basis of toxic responses.

EMSL has extended the deadline for submitting applications for the 2015 William Wiley Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship through Nov. 14. The fellowship is open to high-performing newly graduated, junior Ph.D. scientists who have the potential to become full-time scientific staff at EMSL.

Researchers answering fundamental scientific questions in biology, climate and chemistry look to high performance computing and robust software. With its history of integrating experiment and computation, EMSL supports research into climate change, contaminated soil remediation, and energy production and storage with its Cascade supercomputer and...

In this issue, a feature on the current state and future of molecular science computing at EMSL; news releases on bio-fuel production and a new semiconducting material; articles on the release of NWChem 6.5 and EMSL’s redesigned website; and science highlights. Read these stories and more in the latest issue of The Molecular Bond.

Scientists doing some of their research at EMSL found adding a little palladium to iron creates a more efficient catalyst not prone to the problems of using an iron-only catalyst in the production of biofuels.

Scientists using EMSL resources found that when the crystalline structure of dust is modified by pollution, dust is less likely to act as an ice seed in clouds. The fate of dust and how it affects clouds is important for climate understanding.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 2014 Key Accomplishments report highlights some of the year's most noteworthy achievements by PNNL scientists in the areas of energy, security and environmental sustainability. The report also includes a section featuring EMSL’s science highlights and other research contributions.

EMSL is accepting applications for the 2015 William Wiley Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship through Nov. 14. The fellowship is open to high-performing newly graduated, junior Ph.D. scientists who have the potential to become full-time scientific staff at EMSL.

Scientists studied the effectiveness of isolated palladium atom catalysts in reducing exhaust emissions from vehicles. The team was from universities and national labs in the U.S. and China and used resources at three user facilities, including EMSL, on this multi-year study.

Scientists at PNNL use capabilities at EMSL to complete a groundbreaking computational study that showed the fundamental reactions that occur when synthesizing the building blocks of a metal-organic framework.

Steam reforming is a method for converting biomass-derived light hydrocarbons and aromatics into a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen that can be further converted to transportation fuels as well as valuable chemicals. This study combines experimental and theoretical approaches on metal catalysts that maximize activity and stability for...

PNNL Laboratory Fellow and EMSL Scientist H. Steven Wiley has been selected to be on the editorial board of BMC Biology, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research and methodology articles in the area of biology.

Identification of redox-sensitive enzymes can enrich biofuel production research

Released: September 22, 2014

Scientists at PNNL identified more than 300 proteins in a cyanobacterium that converts carbon dioxide into other molecules using EMSL’s mass spectrometry and microscopy capabilities. A better understanding of these conversion properties could help improve biofuel production.

Climate change is expected to cause oxygen-minimum zones (OMZs) in the ocean to expand and intensify. This study examines potential effects on microbial communities as well as the resulting feedback on nutrient and greenhouse gas cycling.

Scientists identify the distribution of atoms on material surfaces in order to develop longer lasting batteries and better catalysts, but some atoms evaporate before they are located. Scientists working in EMSL identified which atoms evaporate in mixed materials, where there are many different types of atoms.

A team of scientists used EMSL capabilities to determine the energy level of the excited state of the molecule solely responsible for the fluorescence in green fluorescent proteins, or GFPs. Their results are critical to researchers using and altering GFP’s in biological and energy sciences, including the production of bio-based fuels.

Scientists at EMSL and PNNL have generated the semiconducting SrCrO2.8 material that allows oxygen to efficiently move through it at relatively low temperatures. The material could lead to more efficient solid oxide fuel cells. The findings were reported in Nature Communications.

New insights into atmospheric ice formation could improve climate models

Released: September 08, 2014

Understanding the formation of ice crystals in the atmosphere could improve the accuracy of climate models. A new study with Stony Brook University and Advanced Light Source scientists reveals the abundance of a given type of particle in the atmosphere can play a stronger role in ice formation than the particle-specific ice-nucleation propensity...

Designing controlled, reproducible experiments in an in situ liquid stage

Released: September 08, 2014

Scientists at EMSL, PNNL and University of California at Davis demonstrated that when using in situ liquid transmission electron microscopy and scanning TEM to probe nanomaterials the choice of electron beam energy has a strong influence that goes beyond merely increasing the concentration of reducing radicals.

In this issue, you can read about EMSL’s interdisciplinary team science that includes research by EMSL users Himadri Pakrasi, Colleen Hansel and Michelle O'Malley, as well as new work by EMSL's Kim Hixson on bioengineering biomass. Other stories include: DOE JGI/EMSL collaborative science projects, EMSL scientist part of a team receiving an R...

Biomass could be the renewable fuel source to help the United States achieve energy independence. EMSL Scientist Kim Hixson is using a simple model plant and multi-omics capabilities to better understand more complex plants with a goal of bioengineering better biomass feedstock.

Dr. William R. Wiley advocated team-based research campaigns long before he proposed a molecular science center that would become EMSL. Today, EMSL continues Wiley’s legacy of encouraging interdisciplinary teams of researchers to tackle complex scientific questions. In addition, EMSL’s collaborative research campaigns with national laboratories...

Lyle Gordon and Abigail Ferrieri are recipients of 2014 William R. Wiley Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships. This is only the second time two fellows have been named in the same year to receive this honor. At EMSL, Gordon will support the microscopy group, and Ferrieri will support the mass spectrometry group.

Scientists found important aspects of water’s movement over the surface and through the subsurface have consequences for carbon cycle modeling using EMSL computing capabilities. Water runoff can affect soil moisture and soil temperature, ultimately affecting the amount of carbon “locked” into plants.

Researchers collaborate to see particles in real time in their native environment

Released: August 29, 2014

Scientists need to know how nanoparticles behave in healthy and diseased cell fluids in order to develop particles that drop tumor-destroying metals or designer drugs into affected cells. Scientists are using capabilities from several facilities, including EMSL, to generate clear images of how the particles behave in liquids.

Findings provide scientific principles to speed up biofuel development

Released: August 21, 2014

Researchers have determined how water and related liquids can slow down key chemical reactions that turn bio-oil into gasoline or diesel by performing simulations using resources in EMSL. The findings show the underlying principles can be applied to other biofuel processes.

EMSL has named Johannes Lercher and Charles H.F. Peden as Wiley Research Fellows in recognition of the role they will play in EMSL’s Energy Materials & Processes Science Theme, and their proven record of generating highly impactful science.

Industry uses zeolites as an ion exchange material and solid acid to catalyze chemical reactions, including tuning biomass into fuel. Scientists at PNNL and Swiss Light Source used several methods to determine the distribution of aluminum ions in zeolites.

EMSL has selected Marc Kramer as a 2014 Wiley Visiting Scientist. An associate professor of environmental pedology and biogeochemistry at the University of Florida, he will conduct fundamental research on terrestrial and subsurface ecosystem processes while at EMSL.

Scientists at PNNL and Oregon Health & Science University working at EMSL designed a new approach to accurately establish the spatial location of molecules during mass spectrometry imaging of biological samples. The new technique offers information for cost-effective production of biofuels and pharmaceuticals.

The DOE Joint Genome Institute and EMSL have approved a dozen projects submitted for the call for Collaborative Science Initiative proposals. These projects represent an excellent cross-section of research in biogeochemistry, carbon cycling and biofuel/bioproduct production.

Platinum-cobalt nanoparticles are used as catalysts to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into carbon fuels and in the operation of low-temperature fuel cells. Researchers directly observed real-time changes of platinum-cobalt nanoparticles in operating conditions using transmission electron microscopy at EMSL.

A joint symposium and tutorials organized by the Pacific Northwest AVS Science and Technology Society and Pooled Resources for Electron Microscopy Informatics Education and Research, or PREMIER, Network, will be held Sept. 16-19 at EMSL in Richland, Wash.

EMSL has selected Ernesto Nakayasu to receive the 2013 M.T. Thomas Award for Outstanding Postdoctoral Achievement. He will be honored at a ceremony Aug. 19 starting at 3:30 p.m. in the EMSL Auditorium. He will make a presentation on his research at that time and a reception will follow.

Researchers attended the first Science Slam on July 21 to learn more about EMSL’s Leadership Science Acceleration projects – short-term research projects relevant to EMSL’s new science themes and science leadership areas.

He is being honored for outstanding scientific achievement and leadership

Released: July 21, 2014

Washington State Academy of Sciences’ membership has elected EMSL Chief Scientist Don Baer as a member of the academy for his outstanding scientific achievement and leadership. He will be inducted into the academy in September.

Tim Scheibe has been selected as lead scientist for EMSL’s Multiscale Modeling and High Performance Computing. In this role he will develop and implement a science strategy for multiscale modeling and high performance computing, including attracting high-quality staff and an active user community.

A team of scientists working at EMSL developed a first-of-a-kind invention that solves the problem of analyzing liquid surfaces or liquid-solid interfaces, and they’ve received an R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine. The device improves the study of cell growth, biofilms, and electron transfer in microbial communities and batteries.

Increasing battery’s storage capacity could allow devices to run longer

Released: July 09, 2014

A research team has developed a sponge-like silicon nanomaterial to replace the graphite electrode in lithium-ion batteries that could help them run longer on a single charge by giving the electrode the space it needs to expand without breaking.

Researchers studied nutrient turnover in the gardens of leaf-cutter ants using metabolomic and metaproteomic techniques at EMSL. The findings, published in Environmental Microbiology Report, could lead to improved technologies to convert cellulosic biomass to biofuels and other advanced bioproducts.

Designing new ways to probe these particles for more accurate climate models

Released: June 30, 2014

Understanding the creation and lifecycle of aerosol particles and their role in cloud formation is central to improving climate models. Scientists recently gathered at EMSL to discuss ways to more accurately chronicle the lives of these aerosols in the lab and the field. New and existing sophisticated instruments are helping to provide scientists...

In this issue, a feature on aerosol research at EMSL, a reminder about the Special Science Call for Proposals, Plant Sciences director named, a DOE-funded imaging pilot program, EMSL at NUFO’s science expo and science highlights. Read these stories and more in the latest issue of The Molecular Bond.

In the environment, microbes often communicate with each other using small molecules. Ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides produced by microbes represent a rapidly growing class of metabolites that are involved in microbial communication.

Congratulations to PNNL and EMSL researchers on being highly cited authors for 2012-2013 in the Journal of Catalysis for their work done at EMSL on how high temperatures change the reactivity of certain copper-containing zeolite catalysts.

Predicting the types of clouds over the ocean is critical for climate projections, but current climate models lack high spatial resolution. This study examines the impact of low spatial resolution on modeling the transition from stratocumulus clouds to cumulus clouds.

EMSL joined with other national user facilities at the 4th annual congressional science expo organized by NUFO on June 10 in Washington, D.C. Representing EMSL with demonstrations were Kristyn Roscioli and Arun Devaraj.